Chapter Eighteen:
Sabrina has gotten on the boat with us and Roan is just staring at her in utter confusion. Even Archer can't understand how or why she is coming with us.
"Sabrina," I walk towards her, "You will be coming home to Denmark." I state and she frowns at my words. "I want you teach me your tricks, mind games or whatever. It will help me a lot."
"No, she is not teaching you anything." Archer grits out and I shoot him a glare.
"And why not?" He stays quiet, "I want to learn things to defend myself and protect myself. You said so yourself. I am in danger."
"I did, but tricks won't save you." He argues and I place my hands on my hips.
"Neither will you. You made a king throw me in a cell and the only one who got me out of there was Sabrina with her lock picking. If I know how to do that, I will never be locked up again." He looks hurt for a moment, but quickly all emotion drains from his face.
"Okay, then I will go back to Norway. She can teach you whatever you want to know." He turns his back before I can say anything else and I look at Roan desperately, but even he seems off.
"We did not leave you or made that king do it. If we had fought back the chances for you to be alive still would have been much smaller." He murmurs in defeat, "We only did what we could do."
He leaves too, following behind his brother.
Upon reaching Denmark, Sabrina and I were the only ones to get off the ship.
They Norway brothers did either greet me. I felt disappointed that they allow their anger to get the best out of them, but I try not to allow that to upset me more.
"Oh," I look at Sabrina as we walk to the carriage awaiting on our arrival, "You said that you will help me if I help you. What help do you need?" I ask and she smiles at me.
"You helped already, you brought me home."
Oh.
Upon arriving at the castle, Ash was waiting for us outside the doors.
However, when she saw Sabrina tears welled up in her eyes and they both ran to each other, engulfing one another in a bear hug.
To say I was confused is an understatement.
Sabrina pulls away, wiping away Ash's tears and they were talking to each other, but I am too far away to hear what they were saying to one another.
Sabrina faces me with a big smile and tears rolling down her cheeks, "Thank you for bringing me back." I frown at their happiness and know that I had missed something.
"What did I miss?" I ask slowly and Ash huffs out a laugh before gesturing for me to come closer, probably not wanting to yell at me.
"Sabrina had been in the castle and grew up here before her father took her with to Ireland. He did not want her to be like her mother, a maid serving the royals." All this was very new to me, I did not even recognise Sabrina.
"We used to be best friends when she lived here, and we never left each other's sides. After her mother had passed away, her father just came and took her. King Frans did not stop him, as her father is a duke."
A duke is someone very important and rich.
They think they own everything and everyone.
Sometimes even forgets their place when they approach royalty.
"I am happy that I could reunite you." I smile calmly and they both hug me too. I do not struggle against it, as I find myself regretting not saying bye to my friends.
Another month has passed, and my father had recovered in such a way that he can finally be home. Guard Alexander had not left his side ever since and I am very grateful for that.
Sabrina had taught me lock picking, seducing as well as manipulating. Tricks that I never even knew I would need until now.
I had not received a single letter from Roan or from Archer. I had sent one to them, but nothing came off it.
"Aria," I turn around when I hear my father's weak voice and I smile at him as he approaches me. He walks slower now too. He even looks older than he had looked five months ago.
"My princess, I need to speak with you." He says, taking my hand softly, "I will need to retire soon." My heart drops down to my stomach and I shake my head, "I have to, my daughter, I am too weak."
I know, I know he is, but I am not ready. I just started learning sword fighting from Guard Phillip and arrow shooting from Guard Jack.
"I am not ready." I whisper meekly and my father smiles at me, the wrinkles forming by his eyes.
"You are more than ready, and you do not have to stop anything you are doing now. You will just be doing a few more things." He explains, "I will still be handling some of the things, but sweetheart, I cannot travel anymore."
I keep quiet for a few seconds, trying to gather the strength I have deep inside of me. I am my kingdom's only hope. I know that.
"Okay," I give in softly and he smiles again, and for a moment I feel that power I have deep inside of me slip out.
My father had invited everyone for the coronation in our village and some even outside of our village. My mother will be here too.
Ash has been with me the entire day, as well as Sabrina. Ash tried everything to look just right while Sabrina tried to keep me calm by advising me on what to do when I feel like freaking out.
"Just breath." She adds and I give her a blank stare.
"I've been breathing the entire time; it does not help!" I whine and Ash pulls the strings of my corset tighter. I squeak and she sighs behind me in frustration, pulling again.
"Sabrina, come help me." She finally begs and not soon after both are pulling the corset as tight as they can. I am holding onto my bed post trying not to fall.
"Okay!" I yell, "You are squishing my lungs!" They both stop tugging and I let out a breath of relief. Soon a gown is being pulled up and also tied as tight as they can, and Sabrina holds out a pair of familiar black shoes.
"Thank you." I smile and she smiles back.
"Princess Aria, you are hereby the queen of Denmark." I kneel in front of my father as he places the crown lightly on my head. When he had done so, I rise again and face the hundreds of people who now bows out of respect.
"Queen Aria." My father says proudly, and I smile back at him, my heart wanting to burst out of my chest and run away as far as it can. I look back at the crowd and I spot two familiar faces that is hard to miss.
Alvin and Mira.
I curtsey to them, and they bow back.
"I knew you would be queen." Alvin says as he takes a brownie from the stack that is on the serving table my father had arranged to be in the throne room. I take a bit from my brownie when I feel the nervousness set in. "You still do not believe in yourself." Alvin notices and I shake my head in defeat.
"No, I do not." I admit softly, "I am actually very scared."
"Aria." My mother's voice catches me, and I turn to face her, the tears finally pushing through. She opens her arms and I do not hesitate to hug her back.
"You did it, my baby." She smiles proudly and I just nod my head. She looks over my shoulder at Alvin and I can see the same fascination I had for these people on her face as well.
"This is Alvin. He is part of the elf community." I introduce and her eyes widen as she looks at me in total disbelief. "I know, sounds crazy, but elves are merely just humans that looks different." I explain and Alvin smiles at my mother who hesitantly smiles back.
I decide to leave them to talk and walk over to the door that leads to the outside. Wanting to catch some fresh air.
"Queen Aria," I hear a familiar voice that sends the familiar fluttery feeling in my stomach, "Has a nice ring to it." I face Archer, leaning against the steel fence behind me.
"Hi," I smile.
"Hi," He smiles back, but I can see he is bothered.
"Aria, I am sorry for the way I reacted – "
"No, I am sorry." I interrupt and he looks at me, his eyes filled with different emotions. "I made it out like I did not want you there, but I did. I do want you here." I admit, "I just wanted to be so damn independent that I did not realise I was hurting others who are trying to keep me safe." I explain and he comes closer to me.
I bend my neck to look up at him, and he strokes my cheek lightly. I lean into his touch, and he leans a bit forward.
"Aria!" I want to groan in frustration when Roan comes flying through the doors and running right at me, disturbing my moment with Archer after an entire month.
Roan grabs me in a tight hug, almost causing my crown to slip from my head. I clear my throat slightly and hug him back, feeling grateful that he was also here for my coronation and not abounding me like I thought both of them would do.
"My baby is now a queen!" He wails and Archer shoots him a confused look, "You are growing up too fast!" He whines and I just stare at him blankly.
"Stop being so dramatic." Sabrina says from behind him, and he fakes gasp in offense.
"I am not dramatic!" Sabrina just shoots him a sarcastic look.
"Good to see you too." Roan says grumpily and she just sticks her tongue out at him, very childish.
"Aria, I want you to meet someone." Roan says excitedly, ignoring Sabrina's actions completely. He pulls me with him back in the throne room that is still too filled with people.
We come to a halt in front of a petite blonde girl who looks completely taken back when Roan excitedly calls her. She smiles and shakes her head when she sees him basically dragging me along with him.
"Aria, meet Sophie, my love." He says proudly and Sophie just scrunches her nose at him playfully before curtseying to me.
"Nice to meet you, Queen Aria." She says and I give her a kind smile. This must the girl he had told me about the first time I asked him about his love life. She is very pretty and seems calmer than him.
"Please, just Aria is fine." I reassure and she nods her head but keeps quiet.
"Can I have Aria back now?" Archer asks from behind me, placing his hand on my hip from behind me. Roan eyes his hand but nods curtly before Sophie distracts him again.
"Come with me." Archer whispers and I allow him to lead me out the throne room.
We reach my garden and head towards the large fountain.
"I wanted to have you alone this time." He says, before grabbing my face gently and kissing me deeply. I relax in seconds in his touch and allow him to kiss me with passion.
I lean into him, and he grabs me around the waist with his other hand.
I am not sure how long we were kissing, but eventually we pulled away and just stared into each other's eyes.
His beautiful blue eyes.
"I've wanted to that ever since I saw you the first time tonight." He admits softly and I let out a small laugh. I won't admit it, but I have wanted to kiss him since the very first time I had met him.
In a cell and all.
We sit down by the fountain, and I dip my fingers in the water, swirling it as we sit in complete silence for a second.
"I missed you." We both said in unison, and we let out a small awkward laugh.
Another second of silence.
"So," He clears his throat, "Did Sabrina teach you the things you wanted to know?" He asks and I nod my head.
"She did, and I learned other things like sword fighting and bow and arrow shooting." I tell him and he smiles.